Lewinsohn’s 2014 Garage de Papa Rouge
Last fall a friend visited me on her way back from Ramallah. She brought me the gift of a couple bottles of Israeli wine including Lewinsohn‘s 2014 Garage de Papa Rouge. It was my first Israeli wine and now I need to get my hands on more.
Grown in the historical Upper Galilee and the Jerusalem Hills, the 2014 Garage de Papa is a blend of 60% Petit Sirah, 20% Marselan, and 20% Carignan and aged 18 months in French oak. From Lewinsohn’s tasting notes on this vintage: “Half of the Petite Sirah grapes were fermented with their stalks (as “vendange entière” or “whole bunch” fermentation). Skin contact is limited to the duration of fermentation extracting the purest expression of the carefully chosen fruit.”
Lewinsohn Garage de Papa 2014 Tasting Notes
In the glass the Garage de Papa was a bright, garnet red with purple highlights. The nose was really beautiful showing off both the quality of the grapes and the effect of the oak. It was full of red fruits, black pepper, greens like bell pepper and arugula, clove, and herbs.
The palate felt rather less developed than the nose. It seems like the 2014 could possibly use some more bottle time before it reaches it peak. Despite that, soft tannins, a long finish and flavors of tart fruits, and black and green bell pepper made for a very nice (and at 14% abv slightly dangerous!) drinking experience.
I’m somewhat horrified to admit that M and I drank this kosher wine with pork. Speck risotto to be precise. They went really well together. So while you might not choose to be as irreverent as we were I believe Lewinsohn’s 2014 Garage de Papa would pair well with other risottos, hearty, rich dishes, and salty foods and cheese.